NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With unique outfits covering the walls of her studio space, Jaiya Wendell was hard at work making Halloween.
"Everything in here is custom pieces," she said, looking around the room. "I'm going to go super over the top and put a lot of love into each design. I'm happiest when I'm crafting."
Wendell's space is in Studio 615. Her business is Makeup Ninja, but her art expands to costumes. The examples on the wall drew inspirations from everything from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome to Tron.
"Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, I love to this day," Wendell smiled, listing another inspiration. "One of the best films ever if you ask me!"
No arguments here.
Wendell picks up her materials from the Turnip Green Creative Reuse non-profit. She makes pieces for musicians and performers year-round and costumes at Halloween.
"I'm an up-cyclist," Wendell said. "I scout out pieces of fond objects here and there."
"I'm originally from San Diego, and I remember when I started listening to electronic dance music, there was a really cool club called Romper Room," she continued.
Everyone there was so unique, so original, and with that, Wendell found a love for making costumes.
"I want to be the one who designs something that makes you say, 'I want to wear this on my birthday every year!'' she laughed.
"You trying to be the queen of Halloween?" I asked.
"Ha haaa! Queen of something!"
She's on the way to it. Wendell loves her memories of the costume inventory when there was the brick and mortar Performance Studios store in Nashville.
"It is my dream to be a miniature Performance," she said. "I've been collecting costumes, and creating costumes."
Wendell's building her own inventory of costumes to buy or rent. She wants to grow a new locally-owned option for Halloween.
A club kid from San Diego wants anyone who pays her a visit to know something about her costumes.
"I want them to feel the love that went into making them," she said. "I want them to feel what it feels like to be extra. I want them to feel seen."
For more on Wendell, visit her site here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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